The Brandon Gonez Show is highlighting popular Black-owned businesses that will have you connected to the best services from great style to delicious goodies!
The Canadian Black Chamber of Commerce’s Black Business Direct, presented by Uber, has collaborated with The Brandon Gonez Show to shed light on Black businesses in Toronto.
From keeping it chic with trendy bandages, to indulging in savoury island food and raising a toast with pals to refreshing non-alcoholic beverages, there’s a variety of Black-owned businesses to support and celebrate all year long.
HEAL IN COLOUR
Tianna McFarlane is the founder of Heal in Colour which are adhesive bandages for Black and Brown skin tones. Her mission is to revolutionize the way people shop for bandages and making darker skin tones the norm.
McFarlane, who launched her brand in April 2021, told Brandon the idea to create her own brand sparked when she was going on vacation and wanted a bandage that blended with her skin tone.
“I wanted to feel comfortable in my skin while I was healing and I didn’t want the regular bandage to stand out on my skin,” she said.
She also shared an exclusive what she’ll be launching in Sobey locations across Ontario soon.
“I want to inspire other Black women to start their own brands and really just get out there. We are underrepresented in Canada when it comes to creating businesses, I wish that could change,” she said.
McFarlane also said although her brand’s made for people with Black and Brown skin anyone can still support it.
THE ISLANDS CARIBBEAN COOKSHOP
Bradley Lee is one of the founders of The Islands Caribbean Cookshop and opened the first location at York University.
They offer popular, savory Jamaican dishes, such as jerk chicken, rice and peas, oxtail and curry goat.
They have multiple locations across the city including at Yonge & Sheppard, Liberty Village and a new location opening at The Well.
“We’ll be opening in a few weeks. It’s incredible we’re really looking forward to that,” Lee said.
He also shared with Brandon why it was important to put his business on the Black Business Direct website.
“We do like connecting with other Black businesses, we like connecting with people in our community, our partners, everyone else. We’re all from the diaspora and giving back to the Black community especially in Toronto where the Jamaican and Caribbean diaspora is very much intertwined with the Black community and Black culture, we found it very important that we are listed on that,” he said.
ZERO COCKTAIL BAR
ZERO Cocktail Bar is a non-alcoholic business founded by Gail Lynch. She said there are people like her who want to party, but not have to consume alcohol.
“It’s about equity, you get to party and I get to party,” Lynch told Brandon.
She said the idea to create her business sparked during the pandemic when she decided to create her own bar on her patio and make drinks for her friends.
She shared with Brandon how her business being on Black Business Direct has benefited her.
“Being able to be showcased during Black History Month is absolutely critical right because it reminds people hey there are Black businesses and it reminds people oh, here’s a business that you didn’t even know existed,” she said.
Lynch also revealed to Brandon that this year she plans to open her first brick and mortar store.
To explore more Black Businesses in your area, you can visit here.
